Stipe Miocic has set the UFC heavyweight record with his third-straight successful title defence, turning the anticipated slugfest against Francis Ngannou into a methodical ground-and-pound bout in the main event of UFC 220.

Miocic won 50-44 on all three scorecards after surviving an early attack by the raw and unrefined Ngannou.

For a round, the fight seemed like it could reach epic proportions as Miocic and Ngannou tagged each other several times, leaving each fighter staggered and seemingly on the brink of trouble.

"He's a tough dude. Caught me in the first round but I took control," Miocic said.

However, after the early flurry Ngannou appeared out to be out of ideas as Miocic took control, continually taking him down at will and keeping him there.

"I think I underestimated (him) a little bit," Ngannou, whose rise from homeless to heavyweight contender captivated a sport eager for a new star, said.

Miocic beat Fabricio Werdum to win the heavyweight title in May 2016, and followed with wins against Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos -- all with first-round knockouts -- and now Ngannou to slug his way into the record book.

"I mean I'm not the scariest, but I'm the baddest," he said.

In the co-main event, Daniel Cormier defended his light heavyweight title with a dominating performance and stoppage of Volkan Oezdemir.

Cormier put the Swiss away just two minutes into the second round.

Awarded the title after Jon Jones -- the only man to beat him in the octagon --was stripped when he failed a doping test, Cormier dropped to his knees on the canvas and said he proved he was worthy of being called champion.

"I've lost twice to Jon Jones," Cormier said.

"I said coming in here that I felt like I was fighting for a vacant title again.

"I got the job done, so I'm the UFC champion again.

"I proved I'm worthy of being called champion ... "

Cormier nearly ended the fight against Oezdemir in the first round with a choke until there was a late save by the bell.

The other winners on the main card were Rob Font, Gian Villante and Calvin Kattar.

Earlier, Abdul Razak Alhassan caught Sabah Homasi with a right uppercut in the first round for one of the more spectacular knockouts in recent UFC history to win their welterweight rematch.